Day 31 1/2

Yes, this is my second post of the day, but I was just "pinteresting" and found THIS LINK that totally and completely relates to me and my body.  I don't know if I've shared this before, but who wouldn't want to read more about my body issues? (sarcasm....) I gain weight in my mid-section, chest, love-handles, and arms.  I have super skinny long legs and no butt or thighs, so those definitely aren't my problem areas.  These four exercises are great for getting rid of armpit fat.  This stuff literally haunts me.  It has kept me from wearing tank tops and swimsuits for the past 4 summers, and I am prepared to tackle it before this summer comes.  These simple 4 exercies help blast the fat in that area, and I am definitely more inclined to do an exercise routine when it comes with 4 exercies instead of 30.  So click on THIS LINK and crank out some push-ups if your arm fat is haunting you as much as mine is...

Day 31

I woke up this morning prepared to feel bloated and honestly just "fat."  But after looking in the mirror and throwing on some jeans I realized that although I stuffed my face this weekend it didn't have that much of an impact on my body.  After eating whatever sounded good at the time for the past 5 years expecting to wake up and not feel good about myself is just out of habit.  That really needs to change because the changes I see in my body and how I feel just gives me more motivation! One thing I have been doing since starting this challenge is NOT coming home and immediately putting on extra-large sweats and an oversized t-shirt from high school.  This used to be a horrible habit of mine.  While everyone comes home and changes into comfy clothes, I tended to take it to the extreme.  Part of this was so I could eat anything I wanted and not see or feel it through my clothing.  Not taking time to look in the mirror or examine how my clothes were fitting allowed me to stuff my face with absolutely no consequences.

My attitude about comfy clothing has now completely changed, and definitely for the better.  Although it is still winter here I come home and put on some cute, form-fitting yoga pants or shorts along with a tank top or some sort of fitted shirt.  You might think I am crazy, but seriously, THIS WORKS! I am way less tempted to order a pizza or drive-thru Runza when I can see and feel my body through my clothing.  It is hard to explain, but seeing myself how others will see me on Friday night or Sunday morning really helps me to stay focused and on track.  Getting into fitness clothes also gets me motivated to work out or take a walk around the neighborhood.

No, this isn't me :) But I really like this quote! I would always get so discouraged when starting a new diet or work-out program in the past and it didn't show INSTANT results.  I would give up because my jeans didn't fit better in a couple of days.  This is the first time I have ever given myself 60 days, or around 8 weeks, to take the chance to notice a difference and feel so much better!

I'm juicing my first sweet potato today, I've never been big into the orange things but hopefully it's a life changing experience ;)

Day 30

The past two days have been kinda rough.  I have no excuses not to juice everyday, but I was dog sitting again as well as working and didn't want to drive the 15 minutes back to my house to juice for the day. I know, no excuse :( I really wanted to do measurements half way through but I think I'm going to wait for the weekend.  I have an opportunity to get back on track with working out and juicing for the next couple of days and measurements WILL come this weekend.  I went grocery shopping tonight after work so I could get back on the grind right away tomorrow morning.  Even though this weekend was kind of rough, I still have 30 days to go and have already accomplished so much with my juicing! I bought more beets tonight and am literally craving them for breakfast tomorrow.  Summer is going to come before I know it and I am DETERMINED to wear tank tops and shorts without feeling big and embarrassed in my clothes.

Day 27

Only 3 days from being half way done! This week was amazing.  I didn't get to work out at all because 2 12 hour day shifts and 2 12 hour night shifts really messes with my head.  I precept days and work nights...yes, it's as awful as it sounds.  Aside from not being able to work out I think I did really great this week.  I did eat Chipotle on Tuesday but aside from that I've been sticking to soups or sandwiches for my meal along with around 3 jars of veggie/fruit juice a day.  I noticed that I have really start transitioning away from many fruit juices.  Yes I love them but would rather eat my pretty berries than juice them up.  Canteloupe, oranges, apples, and grapes are about the only fruits I've been juicing lately.  If I do juice some canteloupe or oranges I throw in some spinach, kale, or beets to even things about a bit.  I am feeling awesome.  Still down about 7 pounds and will be taking measurements again on Day 30!

More people are starting to notice my weight loss, which is really motivating.  I've also been drinking TONS of water and this green tea.

I usually don't like hot tea but this tastes amazing and is a nice change from just plain old water.  My sister got me hooked on it and it actually tastes like Blueberries; I highly recommend it! 

And according to Pinterest strong is the new skinny, so I'm gonna get my butt to the gym! 

Day 24

This morning I made the Green Lemonade from the Reboot Program.  It was just what I needed after indulging myself in some Chipotle last night.

Green Lemonade
1 Apple (Preferably Green)
3 Handfuls Spinach
2 Handfuls Kale
1/2 Cucumber
4 Celery Stalks
Juice of 1 Lemon

This juice has 210 Calories and 10 g of protein! What is great about the juices is that you can basically add anything you have on hand.  I also love that I have not thrown out any produce since starting 23 days ago.  It can all be incorporated some shape or form into juices and none of it goes to waste.

This Challenge is different than any fad diet or starvation method that I have ever tried and failed at.  The difference is that I let myself give in to my cravings once in a while (see: Chipotle) and then get back on the grind the next day.  Instead of beating myself up over one meal and thinking that I have completely ruined my diet and body I start the next morning off with a fresh outlook and some Green Lemonade!

Day 23

Happy Valentine's Day! I wish I could say that I am just heading out for a hot V-day date, but I just got off of a 13 hour shift and the only thing I can think about is crawling into bed! I stopped by Chipotle on the way home and got a chicken burrito bowl to indulge myself in for the night :) Horrible Bosses is already in the dvd player to watch after I get done with The Real Housewives of Bev Hills THIRD reunion show.
Maybe I'll make a RED HOT beet juice to make up for the non-existant flowers...althought my mama did make me banana bread, which makes up for everything! Thanks mom!

Day 22 1/2

Today I became an Official Member of Sam's Club! I had been using my parents Sams Card illegally (I guess they don't like people borrowing other peoples?) and decided I better hop on the Sams Club train.

Thanks to my Mom I got put on my parents account and have my own card! How exciting huh? Juicing would be much more difficult if I couldn't go to Sams and get a huge bag of carrots for $4.00 or 5 heads of Romaine for $3.50.  I used to buy bags of frozen strawberries and blueberries, let them thaw, and use them for the week, but they have the best fresh berries for so cheap! I honestly thought juicing would be super expensive and not within my budget, but I'm spending way less than I used to!

I'll be posting some more measurements on Day 30, so stay tuned!

Day 22

Today is Day 22 and I am really getting into the swing of things with eating one meal and juicing for the rest of the day! It is so much easier than I thought it would be.  I do all of my juicing in the morning, store about 3 mason jars for the day, and I'm good to go.

I've been starting my day off with a veggie juice usually loaded with some mix of cucumber, spinach, celery, apple, carrot, orange, or romaine lettuce.  I eat a HUGE bowl full of strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries along with my morning juice.  I would juice the berries, but they are just so pretty and turning them into juice instead of eating them kinda breaks my heart.  It also fills me up for the next couple of hours and it's nice to eat/chew something in the morning.

Lunch is another jar of veggie juice.  I'm starting to add alot more tomatoes, beets, and kale to my juices.  They give them such a great color and different flavor than the redundant carrot, celery, cucumber.

I usually "eat" my meal between lunch and dinner time.  I mentioned before I made a huge pot of chicken noodle soup last Wednesday and I am just finishing it now! The soup has done a great job of filling me up during the day without making me feel bloated.  It's really awesome to have something easy to throw in the microwave if I'm working or precepting and I think that making a pot of soup just might become a weekly event!  Supper is another veggie or fruit juice along with a banana!

You guys, I cannot tell you how amazing I'm feeling.  My clothes are fitting like they used to and juicing isn't a chore anymore, it is just part of my everyday life.  I've also been carrying around a bottle of water with me Everywhere I go and that has really helped me stay hydrated and full throughout the day.

Adding a meal to my juicing has given me so much energy and I finished my first week of Couch to 5K! The first week was super easy and really got me into the swing of things.  You start off with a brisk 5 minute warm up walk, which is followed by running for 1 minute, then walking for 1.5 minutes.  Super easy right? You run 60 seconds then walk 90 seconds for 20 minutes, and it is ended with a 5 minute cool down walk.  Altogether it only takes 30 minutes to complete, 3 times a week!

I know I've said it before, but whenever I reach for a cookie or bag of chips I cannot help but think...."A moment on the lips, A LIFETIME on the hips" :)

Day 20

Day 20 is here, which means that this 60 day Challenge is 1/3 of the way over!

I was REALLY craving Jimmy Johns last night when I got home from work.  A Club Lulu with turkey, bacon, mayo, lettuce, and oil&vinegar was really calling my name.  Jimmy Johns is perfect because the one two blocks from my house has a drive-thru (drive-thru = don't have to leave the car, no one in the restaurant is judging your greasy hair or days worth of mascara, and you can order more becuase it seems like you are taking some home for friends or family...yea, this has literally gone through my mind)
and who can resist their jalapeno chips?

Plus it was Friday night, and since I was staying in instead of going out for dinner or to the bar I totally deserved SOMETHING after my long day at work. Usually when cravings come on I give in to them immediately and I was almost out the door in my pink sweats and uggs when I remembered......the money I've been saving, my fridge STOCK FULL of fruits, veggies, and some yummy homemade chicken noodle soup, and all of the hard work that was just put in over the last 20 days.

It literally took all I had not to go, but in my mind it was a huge victory.  In the end I roasted up some broccoli and asparagus and had a Skinny Cow Mint Chip Ice Cream Sandwich for dessert.  They only have 140 Calories and are 4 Weight Watchers points ( I have no idea what that means according to points, but it's low, so I'm thinking its good?).

Sorry about my Jimmy Johns rant....now onto Breakfast and Lunch!

I finally used one of the beets that I bought last weekend.  I'm not going to lie, I almost threw them away because they are kind of scary looking and I've have heard that they add an "earthy taste."  But they were Amazing! That beauty on the left is the one I had for breakfast and I am so glad that I gave them a chance. 

This recipe was adapted from the Apple-Beet-Carrott Juice from the Reboot Program:

1 Apple

1 Large Beet

3 Large Carrots

2 Handfuls Spinach

Juice of 1 Lemon

It was seriously so good! They will definitely be on my weekly grocery list from now on.  It's not weigh in or measurement day, but I thought I'd share something with you guys.  For the heck of it I decided to get on my body fat/weight scale this morning and to my complete and utter shock it said that I have lost 10% body fat! Can you believe it? I almost can't.  I had to weigh myself 3 different times just to see that it wasn't lying. I have no idea where all that "fat" came from, but I'm glad it's gone :) 

Day 18

Today was the first day of my Preceptorship in Labor and Delivery. WOW! What an amazing, eye opening experience. I'm so happy that I chose such a postive place to learn from in my last semester of nursing school. Spending 12 hours straight for clinicals or my job at the hospital can be difficult to plan for, but I've been juicing about 2-3 jars for the day.  I made a huge pot of homemade chicken noodle soup on Wednesday for the rest of the week, so I have a yummy, healthy lunch AND snacks to look forward to.

These are the two jars I made for tomorrow- one veggie and one fruit! 

Vegetable Jar:

1 Cucumber

Handful of Kale

1 Apple

1 Handful of Asparagus

Juice of 1 Lemon

Juice Jar:

1/2 Orange

1 Handful of Blueberries

1 Handful of Strawberries

1/4 Cantaloupe 

I know it takes some nutrients out when juicing in advance, but there is NO way I am going to get up at 5:00 am to juice. And it's still so much healthier than grabbing a bag of Doritos or Chex Mix. 

P.S- How pretty are those colors? 

Day 16

I am feeling much better today than yesterday...after juicing all day I'm really starting to feel back on track with everything! I also got my first workout in this morning.  I did Day 1 of the Couch to 5k as well as some strength training and abs.  My energy is up quite a bit after adding food back into my diet and I can't wait to start hitting up the gym again.  What I really love about the program is you only have to get to the gym 3 times a week, but you can obviously go as many times as you like. Very doable for a nursing student who works part time.

Now for my Chicken Enchilada Soup! I have shared this with a couple of people before who fell in love with it at as well.  I adapted it from The Pioneer Woman as well as this recipe from All Recipes.  You can add a couple cups of cheese for a creamier texture, but this time I was going for healthy!

Ingredients

3 Whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 Cup Diced Onion

1 Green or Red Bell Pepper

1 Jalapeno (Optional)

3 Cloves Garlic, Minced

1 16 oz. Can Enchilada Sauce (Mild or Hot)

2 15 oz. Cans Black Beans, Drained (If you don't like black beans, frozen corn would work great)

1 16 oz. Can Diced Tomatoes

1 teaspoon Salt

1-2 teaspoons Chili Powder

1-2 teaspoons Cumin

½ teaspoon Garlic Powder

32 oz Low Sodium Chicken Stock

4 Cups Water

I know it seems like a ton of ingredients, but you probably already have most of them in your pantry already. Plus this makes a HUGE pot of soup, I literally freeze half and still have the other half for lunch all week.

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat.

Add onions, pepper, jalapeno, and garlic.  Saute ingredients until the onions are translucent.  

Stir in salt, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and shredded chicken breasts. 

Pour in chicken stock, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, water, and rinsed black beans.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

You will want to simmer at least 30-45 minutes uncovered.  Then it’s finished!

(If you want a thicker soup, add 3-4 tablespoons flour after sautéing the onions, pepper, jalapeno, and garlic.  Allow it to cook out for a couple of minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients.)

I love to garnish with:

Sour Cream

Cheddar or Monterey Jack Cheese

Diced Avocado

Tortilla Chips 

Day 15

The next two days will be juice fasting only! I have not been able to juice the past couple of days as much as I would like to and really want to get back on track.  I had lunch with my mom, cousin, and grandparents today, which was awesome. I hadn't seen my grandparents or cousin Katie in too long and was not going to miss out on spending time with them.  Lunch would have been fine if I had been disciplined enough to come back home and juice for the rest of the day. But (cringe...) that didn't happen.  I had a bowl of chicken chili for supper with my mom before our cake decorating class. I was still able to get in two jars of veggie juice today, but that just isn't going to cut it!

I'm trying not to feel guilty about today because I know that it will only bring my spirits down.  I had a fantastic day with family and friends and am not going to beat myself up because of it.  I also have learned that in the past whenever I forbid myself from doing or eating something, I only want it more! So tomorrow is a new day and fresh start. Literally...bring on cucumbers, carrots, spinach, kale, tomatoes, apples, blueberries, blackberries, and celery for breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack! Tomorrow will also be my first run for Couch to 5k! Please pray that I make it through the 30 minutes of physical activity.....

I've also noticed my water consumption decreasing.  I can totally tell a difference in how I feel with how much water I drink during the day.  Maybe tomorrow I'll venture to Marshalls for a fun new water bottle or container for some motivation. Yes, I can obviously be bribed....by myself.

I know this is more of a "juicing" blog, but I am going to start posting some recipes as well! Plus it's my little journal and I suppose I can write about whatever I want :) So coming up tomorrow is my recipe for the BEST Chicken Enchilada Soup.

Day 14

It's day 14 and I can honestly say that I cannot wait for this weekend to be over! It has been a hassle juicing while half of my "supplies" were at my house and the other at the house I was sitting.  I picked up some kale and beets along with a ton of other fresh fruits and veggies at the store today.  Beets have sort of been scaring me, I have heard that they give juice an "earthy" taste....but they are filled with antioxidants and figured they were woth a shot!

In other news, I am starting the Couch to 5k program. I am in no way a runner and have had back issues in the past but I think it's time to start up again. It is a simple, easy program to follow and it only takes about 30 minutes, 3 times a week- which is totally doable for me!

I'm starting this because for some reason I thought it would be a fantastic idea to sign up for this: The Warrior Dash.  This is an extreme 5k run filled with obstacles such as barricading over the Great Barrier Wall and leaping over fires. There are about 12 obstacles in all and it looks completely insane.  I was able to talk my brother, sister, and her husband into doing it with me as well! If nothing else it'll be a good motivator to get more cardio and strength training into my life.  There are still a ton of times open for Sunday if you want to get signed up! I'm pretty nervous and have never participated in something like this before, but what do I have to lose?...besides my pride and dignity...

Day 10

So I've finally reached Day 10! I have to admit that the first couple of days were the hardest and it has definitely only gotten easier throughout the week.  I'm at work again tonight and just had my first meal.  It definitely could have been healthier, but I thought I deserved a little goodness in my life.  My brother has been staying with Jackson while I work over night and he just had to order a Buffalo Chicken Pizza from Pizza Gourmet. Well needless to say, there was some leftover. I had one slice of pizza, carrots, and celery for my first meal.  It wasn't the best choice, but I restricted myself to one piece when in the past I could have eaten 3 or 4 slices! I am drinking my regular amount of juice tonight as well.  Although I only ate one slice of pizza and some veggies I am feeling very full and bloated. But it's kind of a good feeling to know that I can be satisified with a much smaller portion size than only 11 days ago.

I know I have a LONG ways to go, but I took some measurements this morning and was quite surprised at the results! I have not worked out once in the past 10 days but am still starting to see some changes.

Left Bicep: -0.5 in
Right Bicep: -0.5 in
Chest: -1.25 in
Waist: -2.5 in
Hips: -1 in
Pounds Lost: 4 lbs

In all I've lost a total of 5.75 inches lost and 4 pounds! Stay tuned!!!

Day 9

Day 9 is here! I'm working two 12 hour  night shifts in a row again this week so it's throwing my juicing schedule off just a little. Since I'm almost to day 10 I thought I'd share some of the things I've learned in the past 9 days

1. Stop drinking the juice when you reach the top frothy/foamy stuff on the top. It does not taste good and it makes me gag every time I accidentally want to drink it ALL down. Gagging is bad, because throwing up 1 cucumber, 2 handfuls of spinach, 2 tomatoes, 4 stalks of celery, and 2 apples is not my idea of a fun juicing experience.
2. Clean the juicer IMMEDIATELY after use. Yes, there were many times I was in a hurry to get to school or just wanted to crawl in bed for the night. But trust me, it's much easier to clean/rinse off right away. If I hadn't disciplined myself to clean it after every use, I would have looked at a dirty juicer everyday and given up on Day 2.
3. Put a plastic bag into the roughage "catcher." This may be hard to explain, but all of the roughage/stuff that isn't juiced comes out the back and into this big container.  Lining it with a Wal-Mart or Target bag to catch the mess saved tons of time cleaning that darn thing out.
4. Wash and chop all vegetables when coming home from the grocery store.  Juicing in a rush is time consuming as it is, let alone having to chop and clean every carrot, piece of celery, and cucumber that I used on a daily basis. Storing in a tupperware container or bag makes for easy, simple, and fun juicing :)  (Think I could sell ice to an eskimo?)
5. Don't sit around and watch others eat! Also avoid rummaging through the freezer and pantry "just to see what's in there..." I did this plenty of times in the past 10 days. Trust me, it's not worth it. I know there is nothing in the freezer to be juiced, so I have been avoiding it at all cost.
6. Don't go more than 2-3 hours without drinking! The more time I go inbetween drinking my juice, the hungrier I am and the harder it gets.
7. Don't even watch the dog eat. And the puppy peanut butter that you can put into their toys SHOULD NOT be consumed as human peanut butter. Or so the label says. This can also refer to #5
8. Don't tell every Jack, Dick, and Jane about your juicing. I'm not saying don't tell friends and family, but having to explain your diet to every elementary teacher in the break room is not fun.
9.  Invest in some good storage jars or containers.  My mason jars have been a lifesaver throughout the past 9 days.  I have tried storing in tupperware a couple of times, but it inevitably ends up leaking.
10. If you are going to drink a "green" juice in public, don't put carrots in it. Yes, they add such a sweet, mellow flavor, but with the flavor comes color. Pretty Green juice gets less stares than juice that looks like something no one should ever consume.
11. When buying fruit, splurge only on a couple of items for the week.  I always have the basics such as apples and oranges on hand, but last week I bought a pineapple, and this week a cantaloupe.  Cutting them up at the beginning of the week and adding a couple of slices to my fruit juices in the morning is a special little treat.  It also makes me feel like I am on a tropical island...until I look down and realize that I have spilled bright orange juice all over my scrub pants on the way to clinical. True story.
12. Have some friends go out of town the week you are going to start your juice cleanse.  That way you can stay in their huge house, baby sit for their precious golden retriever, and pretend you're at a spa (a spa that "allows" you to scoop some poop a couple of times). It also helps if there is a shower head that is retractable from the wall.  That way you can get everything nice & clean during the week. Like your feet :) I obviously don't have a retractable shower head at my house, but I really am starting to believe that it's all about the little things in life.

Day 8

I want food! I want food! I want food! just kidding....no, actually I'm not....I WANT FOOD!!!!
Is it Thursday yet? I didn't think so.

This wouldn't be so bad if I could just stay cooped up for the next 3 days. I wouldn't mind watching American Pickers and Teen Mom in the theater all day. Yes, the house I'm "sitting" has a movie theater.
But no, I have to leave the house for civilization and go to my clinical site for the day at an elementary school.
And of course people are going to ask questions when you break out a HUGE container full of weird, green juice during lunch break.  People I don't know. People who don't read this little blog and understand what I'm going through! So instead of saying "You can do it, only 2 days left!" they say...."arent you hungry? is that going to fill you up? it's like your starving yourself!" I try to explain to them why I'm doing this and the benefits/awesomeness that comes along with it, but they just don't understand.

Little do they know that I juiced more vegetables for my lunch juice than they are probably eating all week! They also have no idea that I drink about 4 of those containers daily, so there is no way possible that I'm starving.
Sorry about that....moving along.

I had the best breakfast this morning. It consisted of
2 Apples
1 Orange
1 Handful Blackberries
1 Handful Blueberries
1/3 Pineapple
Yum!

Lunch was the usual:
1 Apple
2 Handfuls Spinach
1 Cucumber
3 Stalks Celery
3 Carrots
1 Stalk Romaine
1 Banana
Double Yum!

I think it made them happy that I had at least 1 "chewable" item. It made me happy too. For some reason I feel like "that nursing student from Clarkson" may be discussed at their lunch break tomorrow.

Day 7

I have successfully completed one week of juicing! It was a loonnnggggggg week and I'm so glad it's over.  These next 3 days should be a breeze before I start adding one (healthy...hopefully) meal back into my diet.  I went grocery shopping again today and spent about $40.  I still had some produce from last week and didn't want to overspend since I won't just be juicing this week.  One thing that is pretty awesome about juicing is how simple it is.  I don't have to worry about meal planning, going to subway before work since I don't have any food at my house, or spending extra money on food throughout the week.

I watched the documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead again today for some more motivation! If you want to watch it, but don't want to spend the money, Amazon has a free month trial that you can sign up for and watch it for FREE! You still put a credit card number in, but just immediately cancel the "membership" from activating after a month.

Click on THIS link, which will take you directly to the viewing site on Amazon. Then click on "watch now $0.00," sign up for a free monthly membership, and you're good to go!

I can definitely tell that I have more energy and motivation since I've started juicing.  That "full, blah, I feel awfully fat" feeling that I used to get isn't there anymore either.  And I am CRAVING fresh fruits, vegetables, and salads.  I am not losing too much weight, but am definitely losing inches and my clothes are already starting to fit better.  I have been able to stay away from the fruit roll ups, nutella, and doritos in the house I'm sitting for now, but they have definitelly been calling my name.


I just have to remember that you guys are all probably expecting before and after pics sooner or later in the game....AHHHHHHHHH NERVE WRECKING!

Day 5 1/2

Day 5 is almost over....I decided to stay in with Jackson tonight to A) avoid food/empty calorie temptation and B) because I am EXHAUSTED from school and work. I couldn't resist a picture. This is what doggy day care does to him....

For lunch and dinner I made my favorite "green" drink.  I threw an assortment of veggies into the juicer one day and loved it:
1 Apple
1/2 Cucumber
4 carrots
4 stalks of celery
2 small tomatoes (or 1 medium- if you use more tomatoe, it tastes like a bloody mary- whats not to love?)
1 handful of spinach
1/2 of a head of romaine lettuce
3-4 broccoli flourets
juice from one lemon

I really like this drink because it contains a variety of veggies.  It yields about 2, 16 oz jars of juice. You can of course double or triple the recipe!

(sorry, it's kind of blurry...I'm stuck in the age of the blackberry) 

While I would love to buy every single one of my fruits and vegetables organically as well as fresh, that just isn't possible on my budget.  Maybe some day, but definitely not now... I spent about $60.00 on my first grocery trip, and it will last me one full week! Some of the items even longer than that! Since I drink juice about 4-5 times a day, that adds up to only $2.00/meal.  I bought 1 bag each of frozen blueberries and strawberries.  I keep them in my fridge and take from the bags whenever needed!  I also bought a 5 pack of romaine lettuce at Sams that has been awesome to throw in almost every juice I make.  It is virtually tasteless, but the nutritional benefits are amazing!

One question I was asked today was how I was getting my source of protein. Vegetable proteins are known as incomplete proteins but are exactly what the body uses to rebuild muscle.  If you are eating or juicing enough fruits and vegetables, a protein deficiency is nearly impossible.  We only need about 10% of our daily calories from protein, and most of us average 15-16% daily.
Here are some protein comparisons:
Bananas: 4%
Cucumbers: 11%
Oranges: 7%
Green Leaf Lettuce: 22%
Watermelon: 7%
Eggs: 37%
Whole Milk: 23%
Beef: 50%

While animals may be high in protein, they are also high in FAT! Eggs and ground beef are both around 60% fat. I hope that kind of answers the question.  I know that was a big issue for me when first starting to juice, but after reading tons of information on it a protein deficiency is just impossible!
I also plan on incorporating more protein sources after my 10 days of only juicing are up.  Such as nuts, lean animal protein, and more fish! If you want to learn more go to this website and it should answer tons of your questions!

Source

If anyone has any questions or comments please feel free to leave something in the comment section or e-mail me! I would LOVE to hear from you!

Day 5

It's Day 5, which is half way to my 10 day juicing cleanse!
My fruit juice for breakfast has been my favorite yet.  I used 1/3 of a pineapple, 1 orange, and a couple handfuls of blueberries.  I wish I had saved some cantaloupe from earlier in the week because I think it would have gone great with the pineapple, but oh well.  I am currently down around 5 pounds.  It fluctuates daily, but I will be posting pictures, measurements, and weights periodically.  I don't want to lose too much more weight.  Staying at a reasonable weight and reducing body fat is my main goal.

Dog sitting is going hilariously well.  I forgot how fun and entertaining it is to have a dog around all the time.  I feel like I'm living a double life.  I'm staying in their spacious guest bedroom with white bedding and a taupe paint my mom would love. She loves any shape of taupe/tan. Jackson and I got up early this morning because the house cleaners were coming.  I guess he likes to steal their rags, so he is at doggy day care for the day.

I hope this weekend isn't too hard on my juicing.  As long as I can avoid the pantry and keep my motivation up I will be fine. Stay tuned....

ps- I have no idea how this halfway turned into a blog about jackson. I now understand how dog owners lives revolve around their pups.

Day 4

I've been trying to keep up with working two twelve hour night shifts, school, and juicing for the past couple of days.  It's been difficult but I made it through! I did break down and eat a carrot yesterday morning after getting off of work.  I had absolutely NO energy to juice and needed something in my stomach before going to sleep for the day.  It really did help fill me up, and if having one carrot is cheating, then I guess I'm okay with that. I've also started juicing a little bit more everyday.  I was losing weight too quickly and needed some more energy for work the past couple of nights.  

In other news, I started dog sitting the most precious golden retriever today! His name is Jackson and I got to pick him up from doggie day care.  Holy. Cow. You wouldn't believe that place! They have video monitoring, snack time, play time, outdoor space, a doggie beauty parlor, and I could go on and on. I thought he would be a great running, err...jogging, uhhh walking partner for the week. BUT HE WAS EXHAUSTED! He has hardly gotten up from the couch since we got home.  I'm staying at his parents house till next Sunday, so I'm sure it'll be an interesting week with him around.

I brought all of my juicing supplies over to their house, but they have kiddos...which means it is literally stockpiled with fruit snacks, chips, frozen pizza, bagels, ice cream, and not to mention a stocked bar. But...I plan to stay away from the empty calories and continue juicing.  I think a trip to the grocery store on Saturday to stock up will give me some more inspiration and excitement for juicing.  

Day 2 1/2

I'm working my first night shift since starting the juicing cleanse. And it sucks.
I was only able to get about an hour of sleep in before work, and the problem isn't that I'm tired. The problem is that I'm still up to think about how I can't eat.  Instead of going to bed at 10 pm like every other night, I get to sit here and consider the pros and cons of not eating. But if I ate something, then I would have to start ALL over again. 
Two WHOLE days never seemed like alot before, but I'm 1/5 of the way done!

It doesn't help that the person I'm training has been crunching these in my ear for the past 30 minutes...



But like my mama always says "A moment on the lips...A lifetime on the hips"

Day 2

Day 2 is almost over! I honestly can't believe how great I am feeling.  The only time I truly feel hungry is when its been about 2-3 hours after my last jar of juice.  It is much better on my morale and appetite if I stay on top of the juicing and have some ready when my brain and stomach start yelling at me.

I've been starting off with fruit juice for breakfast in the morning.  It gives me something to look forward to and the sweetness is just what I need to start the day.  My next 3-4 jars are mostly veggies- carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, spinach, celery, cucumbers, romaine, etc.

Like I said yesteryday lemons will DEFINITELY continue to be on my grocery list.  I have been putting them in every drink I make, as well as in my water and green tea. 

I add an apple and carrots to most of my juices as well. They yield alot of juice and add to that sweetness factor that my body is craving.

Ending the day with another fruit juice has become a necessity as well.  I have to limit myself to two fruit juices a day because otherwise that's all I would drink, but the veggies are starting to grow on me.  I also have been finding myself craving "unjuiced" broccoli, carrots, celery, and salads.  Which is AWESOME! That is the whole reason I started doing this challenge.  My body and brain have really been in a rut with what I was eating and it's amazing to be craving healthy food only after a couple of days.

Oh, and cheese runzas with ranch dressing, but other than that.... :)

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I really wish this is how my cutting board looked when prepping my fruits and veggies....Maybe by day 10?


"The food you eat can be either the safest & most powerful form of medicine OR the slowest form of poison"
      -Anna Wigmore

Day 1

Day 1= Success! I have made it through Day 1 and only have 9 days till I am going to start incorporating 1 meal a day back into my diet.  I started off breakfast with fruit juice consisting of an apple, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and a couple of carrots. It was DELICIOUS! Lunch, Supper, and Snacks consisted of more vegetables than fruit.  I combined tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, carrots, romaine lettuce, apples, broccoli, and spinach into some yummy creations.  The best part about these first couple of days is experimenting with different blends and options.  

This is dinner. Yes, it looks kinda gross...But it was pretty tasty! The best trick I've learned so far is adding lemon juice! I wavered between buying a big bag of lemons at Sams and am SOOO glad I did.  It sweetens the vegetables and completely transforms the flavor.  Lemons will definitely be on my shopping list for the next 59 days.  And yes, that is a "juicing" website on my computer.  I can't seem to take in enough information and juicing recipes.  It is quickly becoming a hobby instead of a chore.  

I bought a 12 pack of mason jars at Wal-Mart to store juice in if I need to go to class, work, etc. and they were such a good investment! The mason jars make it easy to keep up with the amount of juice I need to drink.  The Reboot website suggests drinking 4-5, 16 oz juices throughout the day, and my jars just so happen to be 16 oz :) Coincidence? 

I thought I was doing REALLY well today, until I had to visit my mom at her office. Without even thinking about it I removed the lid on her candy jar, stuck my hand inside, and grabbed a purple gum drop, or one of these....

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I was just about to pop it into my mouth until my moms expression was this...

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I couldn't believe I had forgotten that quickly about my cleanse! At least she was there to save me. 

A huge source of inspiration for this cleanse and journal has been Kristen at Mommy Meltdown.  She completed a 60 day cleanse and her blog has been such a motivation for me, especially during these first couple of days.  Check her blog out for more information! 

T-1 Day

Today was the last day of "solid" foods for 10 days! It didn't seem like a very long time to go a couple of days ago...but throwing out the last of the bread, eggs, and left over pizza today made this transition seem all too real. I am beginning to find out that the biggest hurdle in this whole thing is myself.  Since deciding to do this challenge only a couple of days ago I have gone from excited, to nervous, to terrified, to excited again. I keep telling myself that it's going to be too hard and that I shouldn't even start because I will never be able to keep this up for the next 60 days.  But then I think about my weight, cholesterol, body fat, and the fact that type II diabetes is way too common in our society.  I know I'm young and have a "normal" body type....but why not start now? I have one body, for one life, and I'm prepared to make the most of it :) 

I made my first grocery trip today and did not step foot out of the produce section! I spent about $60 in all. It seems like alot, but I'm hoping it lasts me all week! It breaks down to about $7.50 a day, and I won't be spending any extra on junk like chex mix, dr pepper, and treats from the dollar menu :) 

These are all of my new "goodies!" For around $60.00 I purchased:

• Two bags of carrots
• Tomatoes
• Spinach
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Cantaloupe
• Cabbage 
• Pineapple
• Oranges
• Apples
• Cucumbers
• Romaine Lettuce
• Lemons
• Celery
• 24 pack of Diet Green Tea

Well here goes nothing....

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Peeling The Pieces

Welcome to my first blog post EVER! This blog is an outlet and journal for me to keep track of my progress throughout the next 60 days. I am currently in my last semester of nursing school in Omaha and I also work part time on nights at the hospital.

I have been fortunate enough to not have to work too hard at maintaining my body and shape since graduating from high school in 2007. Or so I thought.... I recently stepped on the scale and have put on about 15 pounds over the past 4 years. This is only because of 3 things

1) I NEVER work out

2) I eat whatever I want

3)...whenever I want

My gym membership from 24 hour fitness has done me absolutely no good because I think of every gosh darn excuse under the sun not to drive 5 minutes to the gym. These "great excuses" range from

1) class in the morning

2) class at night

3) I just ate (or, I have to eat)

4) not wanting to take a shower after I go to the gym

5) my ipod isn't charged

6) there are no clean sports bras

7) it's freezing outside

8) it's hot outside

Along with these excuses, my schedule is filled to the brim with school and work during the week, which leaves Saturdays and Sundays to work out. Yeaaa, like thats going to happen.

I've decided that nothing about my body is going to change from being a member of 24 hour fitness and driving through Burger King on my way home. This is why I will be dedicating the next 60 days to healthy juicing and eating. I've been doing tons of research on blogs and the internet about "juicing" fruits and vegetables and watched the documentary "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead." It really opened my eyes on why my eating habits are leaving me tired and without any energy. I am basing my "cleanse" on the Reboot Program.

Starting Monday, January 23rd I will be going on a 10-day juice only cleanse. After the 10 days, I will drink juice for two out of my three meals of the day. It will usually be juice for breakfast and lunch, and a healthy dinner. I would love to be able to do a 60-day juice only cleanse, but I do not want to set myself up for failure right from start.

So heres the hard part: starting the program! I would love your help, support, and prayers through this journey. It's not going to be easy completely retraining my brain on when and what to eat, but it's now or never!

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God

1 Corinthians 10:31